Wood Stove mod

[BS Mods]

For a while I have been going into a friends store that sells wood stoves and stuff. So, because I am always looking at things to see if they could be modded into a computer something caught my eye.

He had a small electric wood stove that blows heat, and there is no real fire, just a fake visual.

I measured it, stared at it, measured it again, etc. I thought "why not, winter's just around the corner".

So I finally picked one up and here we go...


The Victim...

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5515-1.jpg


Out of the box you can see the fake logs, electric heater is attached to the bottom.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5516.jpg


Here is a shot of the unit turned on and you can barely see the fake flames.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5519-1.jpg


Here's how it works.. There is a light inside the back that shines onto a rotating wheel with strips of metal that reflect onto a backer that has flames cut out. Then it projects onto the backside of a glass piece creating the illusion of flames.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5520-1.jpg
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5521-1.jpg


So begins the tear down phase..

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5522-1.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5523-1.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5528-1.jpg


Man I LUV tearing stuff apart!!


I think by now you can see where this is headed...

[SXRguyinMA]

this should be neat!

[RogueOpportunist]

You should stick a P4 in it with some seagate hard drives, that way you can have your modded computer case and keep the flames! :D

[x88x]

Heheh, interesting.

[BS Mods]

You should stick a P4 in it with some seagate hard drives, that way you can have your modded computer case and keep the flames! :D


Hahahaha -- nice!:)

[msmrx57]

This has me intrigued. We have a very similar unit next to my wifes desk. :think:
The only problem I would have is that she uses it in the winter so the heat would have to stay functional.
Heat + computer = not good.
Oh I also made a fake chimney for it out of pvc pipe.

http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/3202/picturejl.jpg (http://img830.imageshack.us/i/picturejl.jpg/)

When I went in to take this picture I was told I'm NOT turning it into a computer.:(

[BS Mods]

This has me intrigued. We have a very similar unit next to my wifes desk. :think:
The only problem I would have is that she uses it in the winter so the heat would have to stay functional.
Heat + computer = not good.
Oh I also made a fake chimney for it out of pvc pipe.


When I went in to take this picture I was told I'm NOT turning it into a computer.:(



My wife tells me that about everything..hehe


Everything I look at pretty much gets a good once over to see if I can mod it. I can't leave anything alone.

This will most likely have a real short stack coming out of the top with a cap that I will use for air movement and a surprise at the end of the build.:rolleyes:

[d_stilgar]

Wait, this is going to be a computer mod? I was thinking you were going to mod it to heat more efficiently, or more realistic looking flames, or cook stuff or something. Where is my head?

[BS Mods]

lol d_stilger - where is your head??

Thanks for watching the thread.

Monitor time -
I started on mounting the monitor. I decided to leave the original window in the stove and then back the monitor off about 1/4" from that window to give it some depth.

I had to use some 1/4" rod that I had laying around as a shim and then glued it to the front window.


http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5533.jpg


Now the monitor sits flat and is ready for mounting.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5535.jpg



I decided to utilize the screws that hold the front panel to the side panels on each side. This will be the anchor point for the bracket I'm making. I needed a bracket that will hold the monitor and also double as a place to bolt the mobo tray.
I decided to use some aluminum square tubing.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5537.jpg

I had to stack it 2 pieces high and screw it together. This will leave a space for some spacers between the cross bars I'll show in a bit.

Drilling holes always leaves a burr so an easy way to remove them is with this -
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5543.jpg

I layed the cross pieces across the monitor and marked their position for mounting.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5545.jpg


I'm using the factory mounting locations on the back of the monitor so this will be easy.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5546.jpg


I just needed some 3/8" tall bushings but I only had 3/4" bushings so it was time for some grinding. I decided to use a hose clamp and group them together so I can grind them at the same time and they all end up the same.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5548.jpg


Bushings in, screwed on, monitor mounted!!

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5550.jpg


All these parts will be painted with stove black so they match everything else. I will be mounting the mobo tray to the back of the cross bars so it will look really clean and I'll have room around it for air movement, wire management, etc.

I plugged in the monitor and it looks really cool. It definitely has some depth to it and you can look at it from an angle and see more of the screen. This will come into play later :wink:

[billygoat333]

now you need to get a flaming logs screensaver for it. -_-

[SXRguyinMA]

lol yes!

[BS Mods]

now you need to get a flaming logs screensaver for it. -_-

Already have it. That was going to be something I would show near the last post.

Great minds think alike :D

The one I have is in Hi-Def and is a 10 minute loop. It has several options with it too. I can have music or just the sounds of the fire crackling.

[BS Mods]

I am finished prepping the sheet metal parts of this thing now. I decided to make a little more room inside by removing the bottom panel that had a few unnecessary bends in it. I flattened it out so I have a better area for mounting the guts.



You can see the bottom has a few different bends that I had to take care of -
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5528-1.jpg


I pulled it from the case and made a temporary metal brake out of some flat bar and angle bar. I clamped everything down and was able to bend it pretty easy.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5553.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5554.jpg

Now it's all flat!! Much better for mounting hardware.
:)
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5555.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5557.jpg



I picked up the monitor at a surplus store for $50 and really liked it because it had easy mounting holes, VGA/DVI, USB ports, and speaker connection. After tear down I found that the buttons for the monitor power/controls were attached to a ribbon that went between the monitor and front bezel giving me a way to relocate the buttons easily.

So I cut the controls out of the bezel for now so I can relocate-


http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5561.jpg



The front piece of the stove has a nice little spot I can cut a slot in it for a slot loading DVD drive.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5516.jpg

I picked up one of these, with the advice of Boddaker. :wink:
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/uj-875a.jpg


I decided to order a pre-made motherboard tray from Lian Li instead of making one. This is a sweet little Micro ATX tray that will mount to the back of the monitor bracket giving me plenty of room for connections, and some airflow.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/V351-Mobo-Tray.jpg


I have a 500W psu going in it. An Intel Micro ATX mobo DG41TY w/ E5300 processor. 8 gigs of ram. I may throw in a vid card.


This is not going to be an extreme gaming rig, more for browsing the web and doing reports and stuff.


As soon as my parts get here I'll start mounting everything and will have another update.

[SXRguyinMA]

wow 8 gigs is a bit overkill for surfing the web lol

[BS Mods]

wow 8 gigs is a bit overkill for surfing the web lol


I gotta make sure that screensaver runs smooth lol.

Actually I will be throwing in a vid card just to see what I can do with some light gaming just in case.

[msmrx57]

wow 8 gigs is a bit overkill for surfing the web lol

And that's a bad thing???

[BS Mods]

Parts arrived.....yay!! :P

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5576.jpg


So now it's time to get moving again.

The mobo tray I got from Lian Li is really nice. Standoffs already screwed in, pretty rigid, nice and clean.
I figured out what orientation would work best in this space to allow for connections, air flow, and other components. This way looks best, so I marked it for mounting.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5577.jpg

I left room all around it and set my PSU where it had to go. It's amazing how fast you run out of room for stuff.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5579.jpg


I decided to use some spacers to give a little extra space between the motherboard and monitor for extra cooling.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5585.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5587.jpg

Here you can see I ultimately ended up with the I/O plate being at the same end as the monitor connections. I need a 6" DVI cable at the most.I don't think they make them that short so I'll be figuring out where to stuff extra lengths of cables.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5590.jpg


Time for some serious cutting...Power supply will be mounting to the bottom panel so I used a template I had laying around and marked it. I used a Dremel to cut this part out.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5592.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5591.jpg


And now back together for like the 50th time...
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5595.jpg



Now for the scary part...
Somewhere on the front of this thing needs a slot cut in it for the hidden DVD drive.....
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5596.jpg

This front panel is plastic so you would think it was easy to work with. I shouldn't worry right? Except that it's the front of the unit that everyone will be staring at and if I screw this up I can't just get a front panel, I have to buy another stove! :roll:
I decided the best spot would be right where it has a fake grille. I can hopefully tuck it up under the lip.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5597.jpg

The only tool I feel like using is pure overkill but what the hell..
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5598.jpg

whew...success..still needs some final filing to get perfect but good for now.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5599.jpg


I need a mount for the slot load drive so I'll be making it out of some extra mesh I have from previous jobs.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5601.jpg

An easy way to bend this stuff is to use a square and an awl. Score it where you want the bend and then gently bend it up.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5602.jpg
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5603.jpg



Next update soon.

[BS Mods]

Update time!!!

It took a little while to get back to working on this. Since my house flooded I have been working hard on getting it back together. Gotta keep the wife happy. :P So I finished putting the hardwood in yesterday and today my knees needed some rest. So I get to do some modding..



First pic = house progress.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/newwoodfloor.jpg

1300 sf of wood down - 180 yards of carpet to go and a little bit of tile. And trim and touch up paint. Oh and then furniture back in. Oh gawd help me :(


Anyway, back to the good stuff--





I finished up the mount for the DVD drive. I also left room to slide a hard drive in underneath it since they are the same width.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5618.jpg







Now that I have that done I lined it up with the slot in the front. I need a little airflow so the only place left is beside the drive on the left. I marked the spot...
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5645.jpg

then got out a little hole saw..
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5646.jpg

Now for some edge clean up with the Dremel. I love the flexible shaft attachment on this Dremel. It's great for modding.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5647.jpg

Fits just right!!
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5648.jpg






For the power button I will be using the one out of a scrap case I have sitting around. I'll be using the HDD activity light as well.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5642.jpg

Piece of cake to get ready.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5644.jpg

I'll have more on this part later.







Since I have the fan figured out I decided to remove some material from the mobo tray that really didn't do anything and it blocked the path of the air stream. As pretty as this piece is, it's time to start cutting! :P
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5653.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5655.jpg




On the front of the stove where I have the slot for the DVD drive I decided to dress it up a little. I just didn't like the look of the slot for some reason. I have a lot of mesh sitting around so I thought I would make kind of a grill to take your eyes off of the slot (hopefully).
I cut it to fit inside the area -

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5649.jpg


then I needed to put the slot in it -

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5651.jpg


This will be painted flat black before I permanently mount it. I'll save all the painting for right before final assembly.


That's it for now. I have more but I'll save it for another post. 8)

[blueonblack]

Looking very good, nice work! (The computer is coming along nicely as well.)


+rep

[cellsite60]

Wow saw this just now, this is epic man :up:

[x88x]

Nice progress on both the house and the case. :up: The floor looks great. I've done a bit of that, and it's not the fastest method (or easiest on the back), but boy does it look pretty. :D

[msmrx57]

They're both looking good. I can sympathize on the knees needing a break, in the process of redoing our bathroom (leaky toilet)2 day on hands and knees. And still can't get the wife to let me put a computer in the fake woodstove.

[BS Mods]

They're both looking good. I can sympathize on the knees needing a break, in the process of redoing our bathroom (leaky toilet)2 day on hands and knees. And still can't get the wife to let me put a computer in the fake woodstove.

Lol!

What's the matter with her. Everybody's doing it!;)



Thanks everyone. I should have more done soon. I need to grab a few parts today and then get back to it.

[farlo]

this mod is awesome

[BS Mods]

Thanks farlo:)





I'm trying to get this thing done in the next couple of weeks but I may be done even earlier. I can usually slam out a mod pretty quick if I am left alone to focus.

So here is the latest progress -

I assembled the hardware for the first "test fire" and to make sure I haven't forgotten anything. It all fit really nice and then I discovered how little space I had for getting my hands in there. It has great airflow too. I don't have the exhaust area started yet but that will be toward the end. I promise it will be cool..no pun intended.

I had to plug everything into the back of the monitor and hang it out since I can't get to it once the motherboard tray is in place.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5670.jpg

It fired up with no errors and so back apart it goes. Now it's getting torn down for paint...but wait!!! I forgot something!! What about USB and a LAN port??!!

I sorta keep forgetting that everything is "completely inside this case" so there is no back panel for connecting anything.

I figured out a good spot and started making an acrylic block for the USB ports. I'll just be using a couple 12" extensions to make this work. Real easy.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5674.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5675.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5677.jpg

I'm keeping them at the back and the underneath side of the case so they won't be seen.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5690.jpg

But wait a second...earlier I had drilled a hole for doing something but I don't remember why??
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5691.jpg

Oh ya....my plan was to run the power cord of the monitor through this hole and use an anchor to keep it from getting accidentally tugged on. It was a great idea except I wasn't thinking that the actual head of the plug won't fit through the hole..doh! Unless I want to chop the cord and patch it back together after I slip it through the hole.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5688.jpg

Oh well I'll screw with that later ---


It's time for tear down and paint. I'll be painting all the pieces to match the black krinkle finish of the stove.

The monitor bracket I made has some holes in it and the ends are open. I think it needs cleaned up so I'm stripping it down and doing a little trick I learned while experimenting on another project.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5678.jpg
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5679.jpg

So the trick is to put some tape over the area you want to dress up.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5680.jpg

Then to clean the edges and make it look like it's capped off you take a file and hit the edges. This will cut the tape cleanly and blend it on the corner.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5681.jpg
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5684.jpg

Now once I paint it you won't even notice that it was taped. And it holds just fine.


I've got all the parts painted and drying right now and should be ready by morning.

[x88x]

Huh, interesting trick with the tape...just don't do it anywhere that it might get poked. :P

[BS Mods]

Huh, interesting trick with the tape...just don't do it anywhere that it might get poked. :P


Nobody better be pokin my puter..:lick:


You bring up a great point. If it is possible for someone to be touching/screwing around with these areas it may need a little something behind the tape. Or just bondo it. There are also plastic furniture caps that may be the right size to pop in but I didn't want to make a trip to the hardware store just for that.

[SXRguyinMA]

lookin nice!

[BS Mods]

Paint turned out great. I was able to match the texture really well too. It has a grainy black finish on it.


http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5701.jpg



Once I set everything next to the monitor I realized I really should paint the monitor too.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5703.jpg


Then I assembled the hold down bracket. The picture makes it look kind of crusty but it actually looks nice. The ugly holes will be covered with rubber plugs once I screw it to the case. I need them there to insert the screws first.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5707.jpg




I have begun final assembly ( I think ) and it's looking really good. I am starting wire management and need to sleeve everything. I've successfully voided the warranty on the PSU and started some shrink tubing.
I'm going with some really different sleeving that might surprise you. I think it will go well with the overall look. You'll see it on the next update.


I have the DVD drive mounted and I thought I better put in an "eject" button instead of relying on a keyboard shortcut. So I have marked a spot where I can drill a tiny hole through the front grille. I will insert a small pin that will not be noticeable.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5712.jpg

I drilled the hole and it's totally invisible. I will get the pin installed for the next update.

[BS Mods]

Well I didn't worry about getting the little pin installed but I did get a little wiring done. I hate wires everywhere and so I always make everything as hidden as possible. I spent about 8 hours cutting wires to length, soldering, shrink tubing, and sleeving. It takes a long time to do it right but it's worth it. The only thing with this case is that I'll hardly ever pop the back open but at least I'll know it looks good.


I did something really different for the sleeves. I thought since it's a plain black wood stove that it needed a few blingy parts. So I opted for some real stainless steel sleeving. It looks really awesome and goes great against the black.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5717.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5719.jpg

It's hard to see in the pics, but it looks pretty cool. It will be very carefully routed since it is metal. I just love pushing my luck :P


I mounted the monitor and plugged off the holes using some rubber stoppers.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5726.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5723.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5728.jpg

Much cleaner!


I mounted the monitor control panel under the front lip of the front bezel. You cannot see it when looking straight at the stove. The reset button and the HDD activity light can be seen over on the right. It was going to be the power button but I had a hole in the back I drilled earlier by mistake and the "real" power button fit in it perfectly.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5731.jpg

Here's a pic of the bottom panel near the back. It shows the power button mounted and it shows the USB ports and the Ethernet port. It looks a little crappy in the pic but it's not bad at all in person. I will be touching it up however because now it's bugging me. I don't want it looking hacked up.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5729.jpg



I'm pretty close to getting hardware put back in it. Then I have to work on the back panel which should be easy and I have something special in mind for the top. I've been working hard on something for it that will be awesome if it works the way I want. 8)


.

[SXRguyinMA]

lookin nice! I like that SS sleeving :up:

[billygoat333]

ditto. :)

[x88x]

I like the SS sleeving...just be reeeaallly careful routing it. ;)

[BS Mods]

I like the SS sleeving...just be reeeaallly careful routing it. ;)


Oh ya I know. One little bump in the wrong spot and bye-bye hardware.

I finished up mounting everything tonight, wire management is done, and I'm loading the OS right now.

The slot load drive is acting screwy so I need to check into that, but it's running great!

I'll do a proper update tomorrow.

[Trace]

I'm waiting...

[BS Mods]

I'm waiting...

Wow take it easy..lol




Big update time!!


I got quite a bit done and I will be revealing the big secret I've been keeping. I like to keep some things quiet as long as possible for some extra wow factor. :P


I was working on making a way to eject the hidden slot drive and now it's ready and working great. The slot drive was acting screwy because the screws I used were barely too long and made contact with the mechanism inside. Easy fix. Special thanks to Boddaker for letting me pick his brain on this thing since he always uses them.

So anyway, I used a small brad nail, cut it to length, painted it black, and used it for a hidden button in the front grill.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5737.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5749.jpg

Do you see it??

How about now??

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5750.jpg

Nobody will ever know it's there. Well, except all of you. :wink:



So it has the hardware back in,

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5743.jpg


I loaded the operating system, updated all drivers, etc, etc. Then I decided to do a video stress test just to see what this little thing could do. It really wasn't that great. I am used to a high end gaming rig, this only managed to hit 32 fps on CS:Source. :shock:

That just won't do. This will not be a big time gaming machine but come on! We need better than that!

So, I rummaged around in my spare parts and found a Palit 8800 GT - 1 gig video card. And since the board does have a PCI-e slot it would be a shame to leave it empty. :)

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5752.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5753.jpg

Aahhh, much better! I re-ran the test and it pumped out an average of 122 fps. Now we are talkin!! Minesweeper and Solitaire have never looked so good :wink:

Also, there was a huge hint in that picture of what I'm about to reveal....did you see something?

But first....

I needed a hole to run the monitor power cord through the bottom of the case. I found a spot right next to the PSU so they can be next to each other..
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5757.jpg

Have you ever tried putting a square block in a round hole??
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5758.jpg


It doesn't work.....or does it??


You just make the square a little rounder that's all..
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5759.jpg

So I ran the cord through and also fed it through the grommet that's going in the new hole.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5761.jpg

That will work great!


Ok you've waited long enough.....here is the big deal......

A bunch of parts -
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5762.jpg

to make a -
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5763.jpg

Where else would the airflow exit the case?!

So here is the story with the chimney.

It will allow the air to exit out of it.

It will have a few LED lights inside that will work with the HDD activity indicator to give it a flickering effect. So it will look like a real fire is inside and the glow is coming up the chimney.

side note: Santa will be so screwed if he goes down this chimney.


It will also have real smoke that comes out of it to make it look like the real deal!!


Ok so that's a lot of excitement for one day....I have more done but you can wait. I'm tired. 8)

[billygoat333]

loving this mod sir, good work!

[x88x]

Hahahaha, awesome idea on the chimney. :D +rep

That hidden eject button was also very well done. I can see it in the first picture now, but not knowing it's there it's basically invisible...heck, I had to look for a while to spot it in the second picture!

[BS Mods]

Thanks guys.:)



Making the chimney.


I am using some plastic pipe/fitting for the main chimney. I decided to use that because it's cheap, easy to cut, and comes in lots of sizes. It's also easy to glue to, and you can drill holes easy, etc. The only downside is that it's not that pretty.

I took some 600 grit and wet sanded the pieces to make them smooth.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5768-1.jpg



This is the stuff to use for plastics. It holds great. It's used in the auto industry to change complete interiors to a different color so it has to work good.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5769-1.jpg


All painted. This is more of the look I wanted. :)

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5775-1.jpg


Time to make a hole in the top.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5765-1.jpg



I'm making a short base piece that will mount to the top of the case permanently.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5767-1.jpg

Looks like a nice fit.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5766-1.jpg


Now I can just take the chimney portion and set it on here or take it off when needed.


The chimney cap was ok but not great so I thought I would spruce it up a little. I thought the middle section needed a little different look. I took some aluminum perforated metal and made a band to go around the mid section.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5772-1.jpg
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5770-1.jpg


It looks good but I still think it needs something. Contrast. I'll paint it black!

I picked up this awesome (and expensive) etching primer that will cover just about any metal and really hold good. You can even use it on galvanized steel.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5773-1.jpg


Some primer - some paint and boom!
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5778.jpg


This looks way nicer.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5779.jpg


I think the contrast really looks good when it's assembled.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5781.jpg


I wanted to have a little light inside the chimney that would flicker and simulate light from a fire inside the stove. So I wired the HDD activity lead to a super bright red LED and ran it up the chimney. It works ok but I can see I need to add in some yellow or orange. So I'll run a string of LED's and get them installed for the next update. It flickers really good though.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5794.jpg


SMOKE

My goodies arrived for making smoke. I thought I would use the smoke setups for hobby trains. They run on low voltage and should run off the PSU. The one I ordered is made for a chimney of a building that you would have as part of a neighborhood in a model train setup.
It turned out to be waaaaayyyy smaller than I thought.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5777.jpg

I tried it out and was not impressed. In fact it was a big waste of money. It just won't do what I need. So, back to the drawing board. I have an idea to build my own but I'm running out of time.


It's coming along pretty good in general. I'll get the LED's Monday and make up my own smoke generator. That should be interesting. :P

[Trace]

Beautiful. I'm looking forward to your solution!

[BS Mods]

Beautiful. I'm looking forward to your solution!

Puttin the heat on me or what??

no pun intended*;)

[Trace]

Yes, yes I am!

[Waynio]

:banana: Awesome overload, wow mia for a little bit, come back & wow plenty of awesome mods happening, excellent choice of box to mod 8).
This is a brilliant mod BS Mods +rep :):up:

[BS Mods]

:banana: Awesome overload, wow mia for a little bit, come back & wow plenty of awesome mods happening, excellent choice of box to mod 8).
This is a brilliant mod BS Mods +rep :):up:


Thank you so much for your kind words:D

[BS Mods]

After thinking about the red light in the chimney some more I definitely need it to be yellow. Fire looks more yellow when it flickers. So I swapped it out and I am much happier now.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5809.jpg



Time for smoke!!

I stopped off at the local electronics store and picked up a few things.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5797.jpg


Like a mad scientist I rolled my hands together in anticipation of this creation. It will be the best smoke making gadget ever devised!

I got my parts sorted. Busted out the Dremel, marked the holes, and let'er rip!

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5800.jpg


I made a little chimney to focus the smoke upward. The fan will blow air into the box forcing the smoke out.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5801.jpg


I wired in 2 connectors to hang on to some wire I found inside my wifes hair dryer. (Don't tell her I took it}
I wrapped it around some fire proof rope, dropped some smoke oil on it, and poof!

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5802.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5803.jpg

I tested it with a spare power supply and used the wires for a fan hookup for my power source. The wire gets orange quick and makes it smoke A LOT. I might have to tone it down a little.

All put together and looking nice..

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5804.jpg


I installed it at the top so it could point out the chimney by making a bracket.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5805.jpg


I tried the top and it fits perfect. I can't believe how smoothly this mod is going. 8)


I plugged it in to the red/black wires for less amperage to cut down on smoke but it just didn't make enough to shoot out like I wanted. So I decided to plug it back in to the yellow/black to get more juice.

I had a friend come over and he was checking it out so I showed him the whole mod and he thought it was awesome. Then I showed him my smoke machine and decided to do a "full burn" on this baby and see how much smoke I could get.

It was really really smoking good and we were like wow this is awesome.

And then we were noticing you could just see the glow from inside due to how hot the wire gets.

And then...we realized it was ......







ON FIRE!!!!!



http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5811.jpg



I was able to act quick and get it back off without doing any damage to anything else. The Modding Gods were looking over me for sure.

It appears that the "Fire Proof" rope....isn't!

I am so pissed. :evil:

I will be doing "Smoke Box part 2" tomorrow. After I simmer down a little. No pun intended :wink:

I realized that when I did my full burn that I had not turned the little fan on, which most likely let everything get a little too hot. Also, a "full burn" maybe isn't the best idea unless I want a "Complete Full Burn" as in total meltdown of the entire mod.

I wanted realism, but damn, that was too real.

[x88x]

Bad luck on the burning..smoke.. :whistler: The yellow looks much better though, just the right color.

For the smoke machine, I actually have a 2"x0.2" length of fabric tube that was insulating the heating element from an old soldering iron. You're welcome to it if you need a more robust flexible insulator.

[StormRider]

lol, that looks like my first soldering job on a cd drive. boy, it was fun to watch that thing catch fire
hope you have better luck in round 2!

[BS Mods]

Bad luck on the burning..smoke.. :whistler: The yellow looks much better though, just the right color.

For the smoke machine, I actually have a 2"x0.2" length of fabric tube that was insulating the heating element from an old soldering iron. You're welcome to it if you need a more robust flexible insulator.

Oh man thanks for the offer.

I need this done for a LAN this Friday so I'll go pick up some better rope. Then I'll test it with a lighter in the parking lot and return it if it burns. Imagine the look I'll get if it fails and walk back in...


I'm confident this will be done by Friday.:rolleyes:

[Trace]

Good luck Mr. BS Mods

[SXRguyinMA]

FWIW fire proof rope is like any other fabric else thats "fire proof" where it's actually "fire retardant" for a certain time or temperature. That rope they use in stoves is mainly as a heat gasket, where rubber cannot be used, but it won't see a direct flame for more than a few seconds at most. If you hold a lighter to it (or a glowing orange coil) it will most certainly ignite sooner or later :D

Methinks you need a metal project box instead, and don't forget to turn the fan on!

[billygoat333]

haha thats awesome. (not that you almost burned down your house, but come on, fire is cool!)

maybe you shouldnt be using wire from something quite so hot as a curling iron? idk.

and yes, a metal box would probably be a wise investment haha :up:

[x88x]

maybe you shouldnt be using wire from something quite so hot as a curling iron? idk.

On that note, I actually still have the heating coil from the soldering iron iron as well...not sure how well it would work on 12V though...

[BS Mods]

Thanks for the input guys.:)

I thought about a metal box but I didn't find one the size I needed. This is a pretty expensive little box for being plastic. It's made for electronic stuff I guess. Just not fire.:rolleyes:

I'm using the wire from a hair dryer because it can get hot over and over without getting brittle and breaking. And if you think about it, hair dryers have air moving across the element so that's where my little fan comes in.

I will do some more experimenting tonight after I build a new one to see if it was just the fan not being on. I made a big mistake by installing the last one without doing more testing. Usually I don't do that but I am on a time crunch here so I risked it. I always push my luck and this time it bit me.:redface:


I will get the next one running and let you know.

[BS Mods]

I got some more parts today to make a new and improved smoke maker.


I took the new rope I bought and tried to light it on fire. It would not even get hot. I was pretty impressed. Then I put some of the "non-flammable" smoke oil on it and lit it. It was engulfed in flames instantly! So much for non flammable. Now it's easy to see why it caught on fire.

I did notice on the bottle that it said to only use a few drops at a time. So maybe I'll try that when I get this back together.





But first....

I made the bracket for a little speaker I'm putting inside the case. I will be putting it near the base of the chimney. This way should be able to hear sound coming from the chimney a little. More specific, you should hear the sounds of (fake) crackling fire coming from the stove.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5812-1.jpg

I painted it to match and mounted it in a good spot.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG00260-20101103-1937.jpg


It should work perfect.

Now onto the smoke again..

I decided I better do a LOT of bench testing with this thing before I mount it inside the case again.

So I built it the same way. I tried several different lengths of wire wrapped around the rope first to see which would get hot but not too hot. After settling with the one I thought worked best I gave it a try.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5816.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5813.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5818.jpg

LOTS of smoke and I left it on almost a minute with no problem. That tells me the reason it lit on fire last time was from not having the fan running and keeping the wire a little cooler. And I had soaked the rope instead of only using a few drops.

Now I'm excited again!

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5819.jpg



So I mounted it back in the case. Hooked it up and turned it back on. The smoke wasn't rising out of the chimney for some reason so I quickly shut it down. I discovered there wasn't enough clearance between the top of the case and the fan so it wasn't able to pull air through the box.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5821.jpg


So I have removed the fan from the top of the box and put it inside the box to pull the air through. It's working great.

I also painted it all black to match and made an extension piece for the chimney so that the smoke exits at the top of the chimney.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5814.jpg


That's it for now. I'll have more tomorrow and it should be totally complete. I've been waiting on a 1 foot DVI cable to show up so I can hook up the monitor and adjust the image size to fit the window of the stove. Then I can put the back on it, wipe it down a little, and enjoy. :P

[Trace]

Awesome job!

[SXRguyinMA]

ncie work! video is in order! :D

FWIW I think those real fire screensavers have sound built in :D

[BS Mods]

ncie work! video is in order! :D

FWIW I think those real fire screensavers have sound built in :D




Yea it does have a bunch of different sound options. But I need a speaker so you can hear it. I want it all contained inside so there isn't a lot of stuff plugged into the case. I will be using a wireless keyboard/mouse as well. The only thing coming from the case while in use will be the 2 power cords.


I think I will make a video and get it posted. I have the ability but not the extra time.8)

[x88x]

Looks good. OOC, what are you doing about refilling the smoker? You said that you soaked the rope, does that mean that to refill it you would have to dismantle it and soak it again?

[Snowman]

It has been almost 12 hours since your last pictures what are you doing working or sleeping or something such a lack of dedication get back to it... awesome mod cant wait to see it finished.

[BS Mods]

It has been almost 12 hours since your last pictures what are you doing working or sleeping or something such a lack of dedication get back to it... awesome mod cant wait to see it finished.


LOL


Not much sleeping. Just lots to do in a short time.

As far as refilling the smoker-

All I have to do is take the chimney cap off, drop a few drops of oil down the small tube, and it's ready. I lined up the rope so that it sits exactly under the hole of the tube.


Ok so you will really like this I hope.:think:


I am done!!

It works great. It has fire, crackling sound, flickering light, and real smoke.

Here is a pic I took.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5823.jpg



I will get more up later but I'm updating all the software, drivers, etc.

I will make a little video with my HD camera too.;)

[x88x]

Hahahaha, that is awesome! :D

...though, being a picky perfectionist, I have to point out that not many wood stoves have brick interiors. :P

[BS Mods]

Hahahaha, that is awesome! :D

...though, being a picky perfectionist, I have to point out that not many wood stoves have brick interiors. :P


Yea I know. The video I have has 2 choices and this is the closest one. I could take a video with my HD camera of a real stove and put it to a video that I could loop but I didn't have time. I still can after this weekend.

There is a case mod contest this weekend at a lan I'm attending so I needed to wrap this up.

Thanks for the comments. I do it because I enjoy creating things and it makes me feel good when other people approve too.:up:

[billygoat333]

turned out freaking awesome. can't wait for a video! +rep

[msmrx57]

turned out freaking awesome. can't wait for a video! +rep

Yup, what he said. :up:

[Mark_Hardware]

Man I like this a lot!!
I know it's a little late, but there are soldering irons that run off 12VDC... Perhaps that could be a viable source for your heating element?
Nice work for sure! +rep all the way

[Waynio]

Very excellent mod BS :banana:, looks awesome :):up:.

[BS Mods]

Thanks guys.

I just got 3rd place on a mod competition.

There was some awesome competition. I'm happy with 3rd for now. I'll make some improvements.

I think it needs some acrylic for the back and some interior lighting.

Someone also suggested windows on the sides too.

We'll see. ;)

[blueonblack]

Congratulations on the win! The competition had to be pretty stiff.

Nice work!

[SXRguyinMA]

congrats! this thing came out awesome! I agree that maybe a side window and some interior lighting (maybe a red/amber combo) would look neat!

[BS Mods]

Thanks guys.

I might add a couple windows in the sides. I have other mods to do so I may just leave it and move on.

I will add an acrylic back and a light for sure though.

More updates to come I guess...oh, and a video. ;)

[BruteClaw]

Cool Mod,

Can't wait for the video on this. And I agree with the Yellow/Amber and red lighting on the interior.

[BS Mods]

Here is a pic that was taken at a lan I went to and won 3rd place for the CPU Magazine mod contest.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zonedancer/5177268698/in/set-72157625220197683/


I am beginning to make some more changes and will have a couple more updates soon.

I have cut some smoked acrylic for a back panel that will look black until I turn the interior lighting on.

I got some red cold cathodes for the interior and just need to get to mounting them.

I ordered the scented smoke oil. I got "popcorn" and "pumpkin pie". yumm:D

[SXRguyinMA]

nice! congrats!

[Waynio]

Nice one congrats :):up: that beer keg looked cool too :D.

[x88x]

Nice. Congrats on the contest!

[BS Mods]

Thanks guys.

The beer keg was really cool too for sure. Wish he would have made top 3. I know he worked extra hard to get it ready in time.

I decided not to work on the wood stove tonight because we are having a huge wind storm right now and trees are bending towards my shop! :eek:

[BS Mods]

I'm still playing with this thing...

Thanks to everyone at the lan who stopped by to check it out. It was funny to see how many people thought it was a real wood stove and couldn't figure out how I could be allowed to have it there. :P


I bought some red cold cathodes to put in the back. I also used some of my gray (smoked) acrylic and made a new back for it.

It really has a cool ominous red glow.

Here is the kit I bought. Needs some sleeving. So I'm just throwing some shrink tube at it.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5856.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5859.jpg



I tucked them behind the inside rear corners. I will also be adding something to hide them completely from being seen when looking into the back. I also will be covering the extra screw holes. You can see them in the upcoming pics.


This is with the lights out.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5863.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5864.jpg


and with the lights on-

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5873.jpg


A few other pics -


http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5870.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5867.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5868.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5865.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5869.jpg



So that's it for now. I will be putting the final touches on very soon. And I will get a video together to show the full effect with the smoke on.

I wish you could smell this scented smoke. The popcorn scent is on the money!

Be back soon.

8)

[Waynio]

Really is very awesome this mate :):up:.

[SXRguyinMA]

the lights make it look sick! +rep

[BS Mods]

Thanks guys!

New update -

I have just completed the build 100%.

I picked up some black foam stripping to seal off the back panel. It has an adhesive strip on one side and sticks really good. I needed to hide the cathodes from showing when you look through the back. Nothing worse than looking into a computer to check it out but you are blinded by the lights.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5876.jpg


So I cut what I needed and stuck it to the back. I placed it so the acrylic back would line up with it and then I can bend the excess around the lights a little to hide them.


http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5882.jpg


Here is a shot where you can see the light strip ----

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5880.jpg


And now hidden ---

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5883.jpg


It looks much better hidden so you focus on what's inside a lot easier.



http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5883.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/BOBDBONE/IMG_5884.jpg


That's pretty much it!


I do have to get the video done and a few pics of the smoke billowing out of the chimney. I'll get it done and make the final post then.

Thanks for watching.

I'll get back to work on the Gun Safe Mod soon. 8)

[Waynio]

Flaming brilliant BS :):up:.

[BS Mods]

Finally a video!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaI9aQvk4Hc

[SXRguyinMA]

UaI9aQvk4Hc

there ya go :D

at 2:19, where did you get that screen saver from? it's sweet :D

[msmrx57]

That is Freakin Awesome!!! Even without the smoke it'd be an incredible build.
The smoke just pushes it so far over the top. :up: + rep for sure.

[BS Mods]

Thanks guys.

The screen saver was something I found on CNET.

http://download.cnet.com/Free-Fire-Screensaver/3000-2257_4-10627791.html?tag=contentMain;contentBody;1d

It's really cool. It basically torches anything on the screen. So I found a flaming skull pic online for the desktop then when the screen saver kicks on it makes the fire look real.

[msmrx57]

Thanks for posting the link for the screen saver. It's perfect for me as I'm a bit of a pyro.

[SXRguyinMA]

thanks! will rep you for the screen saver once I spread some :D